[tech69]

how is it coming along? Are you ready to prime it yet?

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by abarli65

So what do you guys think of my hood?

LOLOL,

It is BEEE-UUUU-TEEE-FULLL

Brian

[69 widetrack]

Originally Posted by abarli65

So what do you guys think of my hood?

Well...I guess it is time to get back to the original question...sorry about all of the unrelated back and forth stuff...and I mean that...I thought about it last night and that's one of the reasons I got up a little earlier today...again sorry, you asked for information and you deserve more.

It's hard to tell by the pictures (pictures help a lot but it would be much easier to give you a 100% do this response if we could feel the highs and lows in person). I feel that a little to much pressure was put on the block and to fine a paper was used...I would re-prime, guide coat the hood, put some 180 on the long block and gently sand the hood in a cross hatch method. If your not sure what cross hatch means, it means to sand in one direction like //// for 6 to 10 strokes across the hood...then go back the other way \\\\...always gently letting the sand paper do the work...not you pushing on down on the block. Once you see that the panel is getting straight, re-guide coat and move to a finer grit, nothing courser than 280 grit. Use the same cross hatch method until the guide coat is gone or you burn through to the gel coat.

You should have enough material on the hood...now that the hood is getting straight you could give the hood 2 more medium wet coats of primer, guide coat and then long block with 400 grit minimum, (I always like something a little finer for base coat like 600 wet but 400 usually works quite well)...Now use your Wax and Grease remover to check for the panel being straight...if it's not, you will need to long block some more, if it is straight...paint it.

Ray

[69 widetrack]

I should also mention to you that in the recessed areas on the hood (like on both sides of the scoop) and any low areas, give them several coats of primer before priming the whole hood...allow proper flash time between each coat of primer and you should be good to go

Hope this helps.
Ray

[mr4speed]

I will add to this is the importance of a truly flat block. If the tool your using has a slight bow to it, you can block till the cows come home and you will never get it straight. You had mentioned your using Durablocks, I personally don't use these for the simple reason there just not flat, period. But check them to a flat straight edge, something like a table saw top, and you will see just how flat they really are. Another thing I will mention is I always spray an even layer of poly primer over the rough cut of 36 grit. Because once you block it flat with the course paper what happens is you create ripples trying to get rid of the 36 grit scratches from skimcoats that are uneven. Now throw in a bowed block on top of that. It can get very frustating to say the least. When you lay down an even coat of poly it will stay flat with your rough cut of filler, making the blocking with the finer grits that much easier, and truer. I hope I have explained this in a way that makes a lot of sense to you.

[abarli65]

Well, Brian got the gist of my comment... :-)

But now that we are back on subject and everyone has been given the proper hugs... :-)

I have always had some questions about my big durablock since i bought it... I read a bunch of info in here and I did scrape it across sandpaper to get it flat as one thread had suggested, but the fact that it is foam and that it does kind of 'form'... makes me scratch my head.

I also have a couple 3M blocks... the hard plastic ones.

I was looking at those flexible blocks... the ones with the three rods that adjust the flexibility... They are pricey at $289 for a kit. Are those good, and worth the $289?

I should be able to prime on Saturday if the rain stays away. I have a brand new can of SPI 2k.

[tech69]

The 3M blocks are good. My favorite. I think The Durablocks are good if it's 10" and under. Anything bigger than it can be an issue. I haven't had problems with them but for anything bigger than 10" I'd rather have my 3M block.

[milo]

I think there is a self leveling NCP primer that sure would save a lot of typing,,got to put it on wet is all ...

[mr4speed]

Are you guys reffering to the big yellow plastic 3M long board pt# 05444. Hope that you had better luck with yours than I did with mine. Brand new right out of the box I started blocking with it, and something just did'nt seem right. I put it on a straight edge and found that the center of it was in almost a 1/16 of an inch. I would have been better of using the box it came in as a block. If I remember correctly it was about 60-70 bucks with shipping quite a few years back. At that point I had just about given up on these store bought blocks and just made all my own.

[tech69]

Originally Posted by mr4speed

Are you guys reffering to the big yellow plastic 3M long board pt# 05444. Hope that you had better luck with yours than I did with mine. Brand new right out of the box I started blocking with it, and something just did'nt seem right. I put it on a straight edge and found that the center of it was in almost a 1/16 of an inch. I would have been better of using the box it came in as a block. If I remember correctly it was about 60-70 bucks with shipping quite a few years back. At that point I had just about given up on these store bought blocks and just made all my own.

I think you got a bad one. I got mine for $2 at a swap meet. It's perfectly flat. I also leave crap on the edge of tables and I already warped a few aluminum blocks but this thing stays straight. Maybe you can clamp to a straight edge and throw it in the oven.

[mr4speed]

I ended up glueing it to a piece of 3/8 plexi that is 22 inches long. It serves as nothing more than a very expensive handle. Oh well...........